HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes City Council - 05/23/1973MINUTES
CITY OF CORPUS CHRISTI, TEXAS
REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING
May 23, 1973
3:00 P.M.
PRESENT:
Mayor Ronnie Sizemore
Mayor Pro Tem Charles A. Bonniwell
Commissioners:
Roberto Bosquez, M.D.
Rev. Harold T. Branch
Thomas V. Gonzales
Gabe Lozano, Sr.
J. Howard Stark
City Hall.
City Manager R. Marvin Townsend
Assistant City Attorney Hal George
City Secretary T. Ray Kring
Mayor Ronnie Sizemore called the meeting to order in the Council Chamber of the
The Invocation was given by Reverend Elliott Grant.
City Secretary T. Ray Kring called the roll of those in attendance.
The Minutes of the Regular Council Meeting of May 16, 1973, were approved as
submitted to the Council.
Mayor Sizemore proclaimed Saturday, May 26, 1973, as V.F.W. BUDDY POPPIES
DAY in the City of Corpus Christi.
Mayor Sizemore announced the official discharge of the Zoning Amendment Advisory
Committee, stating this committee is formally relieved of its responsibilities to this Council.
The Committee was appointed August 4, 1971 to serve at the will of the appointing Council.
Mayor Pro Tem Bonniwell requested that the following statement be entered into
the record and made a part of the Minutes of this Council Meeting:
"It is most difficult to make a statement at this time. However, the thing that
sticks out in my mind is this thought: Every young mon should have the oppor-
tunity to serve his community. I appreciate the public having given me this
opportunity for the past two years. It has been most rewording. I have often
said that I most admire Teddy Roosevelt's feelings regarding involvement. It
is better to have become involved and lost than not to have been involved at
all. As the vote now stands, Mr. Luby is the new mayor.
"There are rewards even in my loss. I will now have an opportunity to spend a
great deal more time with my family and practice law full time. Again I want
to thank all the many people who have worked for me in this campaign and the
10,000 people who voted for me today."
Mr. Bonniwell made the comment that so far as he was personally concerned, Mr. Jason Luby
is the new mayor of the City, and the other elected members of the Council need to unite
behind him and work together for the betterment of this community. He stated that there had
been some discussion regarding a racoui t -o the'May 22 election; that'}his reminded him of
the statement of President Nixon when he said if it takes a recount to get elected, he was
Minutes
Regular Council Meeting
May 23, 1973
Page 2
not interested. Mr. Bonniwell stated, "So far as he was concerned the election is over and done
with, and the quicker the Council unites and gets behind the new mayor the sooner they can get
on with the City business." Mr. Bonniwell made the traditional presentation of a gift to the out-
going mayor, and stated it represented an expression of appreciation to Mayor Sizemore for his
leadership and devotion to the office of mayor for the past two years. The gift was a silver tray
on which the names of the members of the Council who served with him for the past two years
were inscribed. Mr. Bonniwell thanked each Councilman individually and members of the Staff
for having had the opportunity of serving with them, and expressed appreciation for their dedi-
cation to their tasks.
Mayor Sizemore accepted the gift on behalf of his wife, Virginia, who was present in
the audience, stating his tenure as Mayor and Commissioner of the City had been eight years of
education and a rewarding experience. He stated he stands ready to help in any way possible
in the future.
City Manager Townsend presented an ordinance which constituted the official canvass
of the votes cast in the May 22, 1973 City Runoff Election. City Secretary T. Ray Kring stated
the ordinance is in accordance with the official returns of said election, submitted and certi-
fied to by himself, and asked that it be noted that the returns are available for review by those
who may desire.
ORDINANCE NO. 11481
CANVASSING RETURNS AND DECLARING THE RESULTS OF THE RUNOFF ELECTION FOR
THE PURPOSE OF ELECTING THE MAYOR OF THE CITY OF CORPUS CHRISTI HELD ON THE
22ND DAY OF MAY, 1973; AND DECLARING AN EMERGENCY.
The Charter Rule was suspended and the foregoing ordinance was passed by the follow-
ing vote: Sizemore, Bonniwell, Bosquez, Branch, Gonzales, Lozano, and Stark, present and
voting "Aye".
Mayor Sizemore introduced the newly elected Mayor, Mr. Jason Luby. Mr. Luby
took Mr. Sizemore's chair and made the comment, "that assuming the responsibilities of Mayor
of the City was like his first parachute jump, that the first jump took the most courage, and
that he was ready to jump into this." He stated he will follow the same platform set forth by
the previous Council. He introduced his wife Betty, and other members of his family and
friends who were present in the audience.
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Regular Council Meeting
May 23, 1973
Page 3
Commissioner Bosquez stated he had felt deeply honored and privileged to have served
in the capacity of City Commissioner, and as a retiring Commissioner, wanted to take this oppor-
tunity to thank those with whom he had served and for making the last two years a most rewarding
experience.
Other members of the previous Council, and re-elected for the ensuing term, introduced
their immediate families, and made brief statements of appreciation for having had the privilege
of serving the community as members of the City Council, each stressing the need for a united
effort for the good of the Community.
Mayor Luby introduced the two new members of the Council, Captain James T. Acuff
and Ricardo Gonzalez, who made brief statements of appreciation for having been elected, and
introduced their wives and families.
The newly elected members of the Council were invited to join the Council at the
Council Table, and The Honorable Judge Horace Young, Associate Justice of the 13th Court
of Civil Appeals, administered the Oaths of Office to Mayor Luby and Commissioners Harold
T. Branch, Ricardo Gonzalez, Thomas V. Gonzales, Gabe Lozano, Sr. and J. Howard Stark.
Judge Young declared the foregoing to be the duly elected Mayor and Council of the City of
Corpus Christi for the term 1973-75.
Mayor Sizemore presented the newly elected Mayor with a new gavel and striker,
and Mayor Luby in turn presented Mayor Sizemore with the gavel with which he had conducted
the Council meetings for the last two years. Also Mayor Sizemore presented outgoing
Commissioners Bosquez and Bonniwell with their name plates which had identified them at
the Council Table during their terms of office.
Mayor Luby read congratulatory telegrams from well-wishers on his election to the
office of Mayor, and read his acceptance speech to be made a part of the minutes of this
meeting as follows:
"This, I can say to you, is the greatest moment of my life. Yesterday was a
day of victory for all the people of Corpus Christi. Today is a day of challenge -
a challenge for all of us who are being seated on this City Council to move
ahead in the best interest of Corpus Christi -- to make this an even greater
and more bountiful and better community for our entire population.
"Actually, this is more than a challenge. It is an obligation of office and a
mandate from the people.
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Regular Council Meeting
May 23, 1973
Page 4
"I accept this challenge, this obligation, this mandate, and I accept it with
a deep sense of responsibility, with humility, and with every ounce of energy
I possess. I extend my hand in friendship to each member of this incoming
City Council, and I urge each citizen of Corpus Christi to join in this commit-
ment to make the two years ahead a period in which it can be said that
government by the people flourished in Corpus Christi.
"If we hold to this commitment, Corpus Christi will flourish and we shall all
have the right to say that we met the challenge, we fulfilled our obligation,
and accepted the mandate that the people entrusted to us."
Mayor Luby announced that the first item of new business would be the election of
Mayor Pro Tem, and called for nominations.
Motion by Branch, seconded by Stark, that Commissioner Acuff be elected as Mayor
Pro Tem.
Mayor Luby relinquished the Chair to Commissioner Branch. Commissioner Branch
called for other nominations. Mayor Luby nominated Commissioner Lozano, stating that he
had served as Commissioner for four consecutive terms, one of which was as Mayor Pro Tem.
There were no other nominations.
Commissioner Lozano stated he would accept Mayor Luby's nomination because he
felt the position would afford him an opportunity to upgrade the Mexican -Americans of this
community. He stated he had served as Commissioner for four terms and felt he had served
his community well. He requested that the votes be cast by the show of hands rather than
the customary secret ballot. Those voting for Commissioner Lozano for Mayor Pro Tem were
Luby and Lozano; those voting "Nay" were Acuff, Branch, R. Gonzalez, T. Gonzales, and
Stark. Commissioner Acuff was declared elected as Mayor Pro Tem.
Mayor Pro Tem Acuff thanked the Council and stated he would do his utmost to
carry out the duties of Mayor Pro Tem to the very best of his ability.
Commissioner Ricardo Gonzalez stated he felt the City Charter should be studied
to find some type of design for selection of the Mayor Pro Tem. He stated the tradition of
filling the position by the person having received the most votes as a candidate, in his opin-
ion, is perhaps not the way it should be done, pointing out that often the number of votes
received is dependent on the number and quality of the opposition. Mayor Luby stated he
would support that suggestion.
Commissioner T. Gonzales pointed out that the previous Council had already
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Minutes
Regular Council Meeting
May 23, 1973
Page 5
appointed a committee to study possible Charter Amendments, but that the committee has never
met.
There being no further business to come before the Council, the meeting was adjourned
at 4:00 p.m. Wednesday, May 23, 1973, after which Father Abott Hoenig of Corpus Christi
College Academy pronounced the benediction.